Sumeer Gill’s Blog

One of Hume’s main arguments is that humans are more alike than we believe. If you look all across different races and different countries there is a very good chance that we have something or many things in common. A quote from the article states, “The same motives always produce the same actions: The same events follow from the same causes. Ambition, avarice, self-love, vanity, friendship, generosity, public spirit: these passions, mixed in various degrees, and distributed through society, have been, from the beginning of the world, and still are, the source of all the actions and enterprises, which have ever been observed among mankind.” This quote was particularly interesting to me because it shows emotions that are prevalent in all or most humans. I can almost guarantee if you visit different cultures and countries they most likely will have more similarities than differences. Hume also stated,”  Mankind are so much the same, in all times and places, that history intorms us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature, by showing men in all varieties of circumstances and situations, and furnishing us with materials from which we may form our observations and become acquainted with the regular springs of human action and behaviour. These records or wars, intrigues, factions, and revolutions, are so many collections of experiments, by which the politician or moral philosopher fixes the principles of his science, in the same manner as the physician or natural philosopher becomes acquainted with the nature of plants, minerals, and other external objects, by the experiments which he forms concerning them.” I found this interesting because he makes a point that mankind is put in different circumstances and situations but most likely most humans would act very similarly if they were put in those situations. However, I do not particularly like the idea that “humans are not responsible for their actions.” I believe that would lead humans down a rabbit hole in which nobody would take responsibility for their actions. I would feel very differently about my life if I knew I had no control over it. I would think it would lead to less stress because a path has already been laid out for you and you ultimately have no decision making power. There would be no excitement in life if everything was predetermined and everybody had their lives planned out, it would take away from the uncertainty that everyday life brings us.

I believe Leonard is right in the fact that our memory is not always consistent with what actually happened. There are numerous accounts where an eyewitness at a tragic event had their memory altered by other people influencing their memory and then the eyewitness’ original statement changes. He was being manipulated so many times by Teddy that he finally wrote down “Don’t Believe His Lies” on the back of the Polaroid and it helped him remember what Teddy’s real motives were. I’m not too sure if Hume would see Leonard’s condition as the same as our own because Leonard does not remember short term things while we remember things in our mind and associate them with a certain identity. But I do see similarities in how Leonard has to remind himself what his purpose is and it was to find the killers of his wife. That is similar to us reminding ourselves of our purpose and what direction we should be going towards.

Hume’s argument is that humans have a perception of objects and other people. It is what they believe to be true about that object or person but it does not wholeheartedly exist. He also states that humans have no one simple impression in which they can declare that that is their “self”. We are all ever evolving, learning new things, changing the way we look at things, and consuming new ideas and changing the way we think. In his article, Hume states, ” ‘The mind is a kind of theatre,’ writes Hume, ‘where several perceptions successively made their appearance.’ ‘There is properly no simplicity in it at one time, nor identity in different,’ states Hume, ‘whatever natural propension we may have to imagine that simplicity and identity.’ He reminds us to not take the ‘theatre’ comparison too literally: the mind is a succession of perceptions only. ‘Nor have we the most distant notion of the place, where these scenes are represented, ‘ states Hume, ” or of the materials, of which it is compos’d.’ ” So to try to have someone choose one impression that would represent their “self identity” is foolish because we are made up of many different ideas and thoughts. I actually find his argument convincing because the more I think about it, the more I realize other people will have many different impressions of you and to them, that is “you”. But to another person you may have a completely different identity associated with your relations with them or your past history with them. We are all made up from a melting pot of opinions, ideas, and beliefs so I believe Hume is right in the fact that we cannot differentiate and separate one impression that represents our “self identity”.

The process that Descartes undertakes is one where he brings all of his opinions and beliefs to the forefront of his thinking, with hope to eradicate all the false opinions he had picked up over the years and strengthen the correct beliefs. In Meditations I, Descartes states, “

It is now some years since I detected how many were the false
beliefs that I had from my earliest youth admitted as true, and how
doubtful was everything I had since constructed on this basis; and from
that time I was convinced that I must once for all seriously undertake to
rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and
commence to build anew from the foundation, if I wanted to establish
any firm and permanent structure in the sciences.”

He realizes he needs to actively contest beliefs and opinions that enter his mind, for they may not be truthful. As a personal example, over the last half year to about one year I have noticed my own biases towards subjects or sides in debates and I’m challenging my prior beliefs more and more. This helps me see events and headlines and articles with more critique and looking at those things from a 3-dimensional train of thought instead of a 2-dimensional train of thought. He believes it is good for people to question facts and opinions to better solidify that fact or opinion. Descartes also states, ”

All that up to the present time I have accepted as most true and
certain I have learned either from the senses or through the senses; but
it is sometimes proved to me that these senses are deceptive, and it is
wiser not to trust entirely to anything by which we have once been
deceived.”

He learns from his past mistakes and is wary of when something that has deceived him in the past comes up again. The next time it comes up he is knowledgeable about his prior deception that occurred. Descartes wants to break down his opinions and beliefs and build them back up with an sturdier base. He is also not doubting everything and anything, he has reasons for his doubt which can only make a certain belief stronger or break it down completely to where you understand the flaws in the idea. This was an interesting read and I look forward to reading the next part.

In the movie Existenz, the people who are participating in the game are in a church and all are hooked up to “game pods”. From there, they are transported into the game, which eerily feels like reality to them. It feels so much like reality they have trouble differentiating between the real physical world and the virtual reality world. This leads to the two main characters making questionable decisions in the “game”. Existenz represents the “false reality” or virtual reality in Plato’s hierarchical scheme of reality. This confuses the characters in the movie numerous times where they do not know if what they are seeing and doing is in the real life or in a virtual reality. This leads to bad decisions made by the characters when they show no sympathy and commit an act because they believe there will be no consequences because it is a “virtual reality”. This is also very similar to Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” in which the shadows are represented by the virtual reality game. Consequently, the two main characters end up committing murder at the end of the movie because they believe they are still in the “game”.

I believe the difference between “beds of the world” and the “idea of a bed” is that the idea of a bed is real. The “beds of the world” are the copy of the idea and the “idea of a bed” is the reality. Art is something that should be looked at and met with praise because it is a representation of the “fake world”. Art, I believe is below the physical world in the hierarchical scheme of reality. I would not go as far as saying it is a misrepresentation of reality but some things may be glossed over and not included in art which are present in the physical world. In “The Republic”, Plato states,” Yes.
But would you call the painter a creator and maker?
Certainly not.
Yet if he is not the maker, what is he in relation to the bed?
I think, he said, that we may fairly designate him as the imitator of that which the others make.” Art can make something seem better than it is in physical life which is beautiful to the spectators but it may not be the most accurate representation of reality. Plato also stated, ”

Then about the imitator we are agreed. And what about the painter? –I would like to know whether he may be thought to imitate that which originally exists in nature, or only the creations of artists?

The latter.
As they are or as they appear? You have still to determine this.
What do you mean?
I mean, that you may look at a bed from different points of view, obliquely or directly or from any other point of view, and the bed will appear different, but there is no difference in reality. And the same of all things.”

I believe art deceives us by potentially creating a false image or false representation of reality. A painting of the sunset can be beautiful but wouldn’t seeing it in the physical world be better? Art can potentially cover up some of the blemishes that are in the physical world. Art can be looked as a momentary escape from reality as artists can add their own flair and can add things to their art. I agree with most of Plato’s criticism of art but there are also positives that art brings to our everyday lives and can brighten them up sometimes.

1. The ship has made many trips before so it will be successful in this trip as well.
2. I believe the ship has no problems, therefore it has no problems.
3. C. The ship will return successfully from its trip.

This argument is not sound or valid because there is no proof of the ship’s ability to make a trip in the sea. Sure, it has been successful in the past but is the ship safe enough in the present? This argument presents a weak induction, if you do not check if the ship is ready enough for the sea, you will most likely do it again and again, until there is no ship left.

1. Begging The Question: All of my friends want the new PS5 because it is the best console in stores!

2. Ad Hominem: You shouldn’t vote for Bernie Sanders because he likes to eat chips and candy all day.

3. Equivocation: I have the right to eat fast food because I have not eaten all day.

4. Slippery Slope: Mark has an issue with procrastination. He puts off all his homework until it is the last minute. This doesn’t bode well for Mark as he has 5 assignments due on the same day. Mark did not get any of them done because he’ll do it “tomorrow”.

5. Straw Man: Employee: It will be $1 extra for additional toppings is that fine? Customer: Are you trying to take all of my money? I can’t believe you asked me that.

6. Tu Quoque: Since Andrew is allowed to drink at his house with his parents so can I!

7. Non-Sequitur: Our ancestors used to drink everyday! That means it’s okay for me to drink everyday!

8. False Dichotomy: If you don’t support all of the United States’ decisions, then you’re against us!

9. Argument From Ignorance: I’ve played chess three times and have won all three times, I must be the best chess player to ever live.

10. Red Herring: Customer: So how much does it cost including a warranty?

Employee: It has the latest technology and it highly recommended by the top execs in Silicon Valley, will it be cash or card?

11. Slippery Slope: “I don’t feel like going to the gym today so it’s okay to not go” (Consequently ends up not going to the gym for 2 weeks in a row).

12. Red Herring: Friend: Kawhi Leonard is the best player in basketball and it’s not close.

Me: But he doesn’t even drive a fancy car or have a mansion so he can’t be the best.

My name is Sumeer Gill and I was born in Bakersfield, CA but was raised for most of my life in Delano, CA. I grew up on a farm with a family of 8 including my grandparents and my aunt. My mother and father immigrated from India separately. My father in the 1970’s and my mother in the 1990’s when she married my father.

Growing up I was in love with the farm and helping the workers pick grapes or driving a tractor around. I was always a good student and often tried to help other students if they were struggling with some concept or problem. In the 4th grade I fell in love with basketball and really started to get interested in it. I credit my coach for the school basketball team (who was also my 4th grade teacher) for helping me improve in all aspects. At the time I was still playing baseball which was my first love. Then came 6th grade year when I had to make the toughest decision in the my life up to that point. I had to choose between baseball and basketball. It took a long time for me to make a decision and commit fully to one sport but in the end, basketball took the trophy.

From that point on I started training a couple times a week in Bakersfield with kids I would grow up and see and be friends with for years to come. I went to 3 different high schools which allowed me to be adaptable to surroundings and people. Playing basketball, I started all my 4 years on varsity, and I played well enough to get some interest from a DII school called Fresno Pacific where my head coach of my junior year was coaching. There was also a community college called Fresno City that was known for their prowess in basketball. I chose Fresno City because it gave me more options after my two years.

Unfortunately, throughout the year I sprained an ankle and played for the latter half of the year on it. In retrospect it wasn’t a smart decision because it led to me getting Achilles tendinitis and after that year when we lost in the Final Four game, I decided I had nothing left to give to basketball. I am still trying to find new passions but so far I have started getting into weightlifting and I want to join a basketball Sunday league or something just to get some running in. Hopefully in this year I will discover more new things about myself and the world!